Graphic designer turned illustrator Jag Nagra, 32, draws other people's secret anxieties and posts them on her Tumblr, I Still Have Anxiety.
22 years ago, when I was 5, my friends convinced me to steal one of those little plastic animal figurines.
I still have anxiety about this.
People don't add names to their submissions. The Canadian-based artist explains: "Things are easier said anonymously."
Nagra began her project to manage her own anxiety: "There are things I’ve done in the past that still gave me pangs of anxiety even years (sometimes decades) after they had happened."
27 years ago, when I was five, I misheard the name the headteacher called out for an award and I stood up in front of the whole school thinking it was me.
I still have anxiety about this.
"As a result of this project, I’m realising that we’re all connected through unspoken experiences," Nagra said. "This is a way to hopefully feel less alone."
18 years ago, I ran around the track in gym class, and my gym teacher pulled me aside after the run and told me I needed to invest in a more supportive bra.
I still have anxiety about this.
The Tumblr is filled with a mix of both funny, whimsical worries and more serious and heartbreaking fears.
From 3rd to 6th grade, I was the victim of a lot of bullying. I pretty much repressed it, but my mom tends to bring something up every once in a while that makes me remember how awful it felt. Going home is like a game of psychological Russian Roulette.
I still have anxiety about this.
A few years ago, my brother attempted suicide. It was horrific and something I will never be able to leave behind. My family never spoke about it after it happened, and I felt like I had to vent to someone. I told the person I was dating, and he ended up telling a bunch of people we know. It got back to my brother, and he didn’t trust me for a long time.
I feel wave of anxiety when I hear the word suicide, when it’s openly talked about, or when people ask me how my brother is.
15 years ago, only five people came to my birthday party. I’m 24 now and haven’t had a birthday party since, because I still have anxiety about no one showing up.
Somedays the submissions make Nagra laugh out loud, while others leave her "with a heavy pit in the bottom of my stomach".
5 years ago, I experienced my first ever anxiety attack in a gift shop at Universal Studios, as there were hundreds of people and I had no escape route. I am now terrified to go into any sort of social situation if I know there will be a lot of people there.
I still have anxiety about this.
"A lot of the time, you can really feel the emotions behind the submission, and despite it being anonymous, you get a sense of the person behind the story."
6 years ago, my sister had a pet pug. I didn’t know dogs weren’t allowed to have chocolate and I gave her some. She died the next day.
I still have anxiety about this.
10 months ago, I got arrested by three police officers and was involuntarily hospitalized for 8 hours in the psych ER for attempting to commit suicide by jumping off a busy bridge in broad daylight. Every time I see the cops, go to the hospital, or talk about the related events, I have so much anxiety that people will judge me or won’t know how to react, furthering my sense of isolation.
Nagra's project is only three months old but she's been inundated with positive responses. Check out her Tumblr for more illustrated anxieties.
One month ago, my partner of 6 years told me that I sometimes fart in my sleep. I have never farted in front of him in my waking life.
